MED2028 Housecalls for the Homeless Volunteer Schedule

[Lori Ferguson]

This message is being sent on behalf of Housecalls for the Homeless. Please send any questions to Mia Ruiz-Salvador ruizsalm at upstate.edu<mailto:ruizsalm at upstate.edu> or Jill Tivnan tivnanj at upstate.edu<mailto:tivnanj at upstate.edu> . Please do not reply to this email.

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Housecalls for the Homeless is seeking student volunteers!



BACKGROUND

HouseCalls for the Homeless is an Upstate program co-founded by Dr. David Lehmann and Mia Ruiz-Salvador in the summer of 2018. Developed within the framework of other urban initiatives within the United States, our program provides direct medical care to individuals living on the streets of Syracuse, in partnership with SUNY Upstate and, In My Father’s Kitchen, a faith-based organization whose purpose is to feed people spirit, soul, and body; using food distribution and supplying material necessities to break down barriers, build relationships, and bring hope to those who feel invisible.



The goal of our program is to fill the gaps in medical, psychiatric, and addiction care to provide the requisite base of health care in support of the larger social safety net services. To meet this goal, acute and preventive care is provided at point of contact. We provide medical care such as treatment of infections, wound dressing, footcare, and initiate suboxone therapy while bridging individuals to addiction services. Chronic conditions such as hypertension, COPD, and diabetes are monitored, and individuals receive counseling on how to manage their care.



Housecalls is working on expanding services back into local shelters (post-covid), and have recently opened up clinic hours to serve the women at the Salvation Army Women’s Shelter & permanent supportive housing units upstairs.



All medical services are provided entirely free-of-charge to our brothers and sisters experiencing homelessness.



Our Housecalls street medicine program (and associated elective) is primarily allocated to our Upstate MS1-2 students, first, because we think it is a time when students are most impressionable, as well as a good opportunity to ingrain the importance of meeting your patients where they are (physically and emotionally) and to provide compassionate care to those, in many cases, in the middle of their brokenness. Secondly, because your schedules are most flexible.





VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES



  1.  Syringe Exchange with OCHD & IMFK Team at Samaritan Center

(MONDAYS @ Time: 12:45-2:45)

2 STUDENT SLOTS AVAILABLE

This street outreach experience will entail accompanying Dr. Lehmann and street outreach team in the medical van to a needle exchange street outreach location run by the OCHD. Housecalls provides medical support to those individuals utilizing their SEP (Syringe Exchange Program).



  1.  Street Outreach on the van with IMFK

(TUESDAY & THURSDAYS @ Time: 11:15-2:15)

1 STUDENT SLOT AVAILABLE

The Street Outreach w/ In My Father’s Kitchen (IMFK) team experience entails riding along with IMFK care managers and a medical provider meeting patients on the streets, while providing meals, clothing, and medical support.



  1.  Salvation Army Women’s Shelter and PSH units with Madeline Frank, PA

(EVERY OTHER WEDNESDAY @ 10:00AM-12:00PM)

1 STUDENT SLOT AVAILABLE

This experience entails meeting our medical team* at the women’s shelter to address acute medical needs (uti’s, cysts, rashes, earaches) and chronic care needs (medication reconciliation and bridging patients to pcps or referrals to specialists).  All of the women sheltered and housed at this location have mental health issues and have experienced trauma, which is why we use an all-female medical team to serve this particular population.



The link to sign up to volunteer is below:   https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1d1tt2rKeLeg1YPQJamWNTRqdMHwb4XlDqMgbngbqsH8/edit?usp=sharing__;!!GobTDDpD7A!JzvN567E2imYTyYzZhbyzVzvEhe-M_QI9qsfLMms2A8HlUYDdkKanG2iJSjLGz6deM8x4xxMyLN9Ayy7ejVgcvUr06q08Q$ 

Please choose 1-3 available slots, taking into consideration there will be others wanting to sign up as well. You can also put your name in the “waitlist” column – we often rely on these students when someone needs to cancel.



For additional program information…

Here is a link to our Facebook page: https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100093202449904__;!!GobTDDpD7A!JzvN567E2imYTyYzZhbyzVzvEhe-M_QI9qsfLMms2A8HlUYDdkKanG2iJSjLGz6deM8x4xxMyLN9Ayy7ejVgcvXrbDG7hA$ 

Here is the link to our Upstate webpage: https://www.upstate.edu/outreach/housecalls-homeless/index.php



Please send any questions to Mia Ruiz-Salvador ruizsalm at upstate.edu<mailto:ruizsalm at upstate.edu> or Jill Tivnan tivnanj at upstate.edu<mailto:tivnanj at upstate.edu>






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